Studying the effects of CO2 concentration on crop growth and quality

Started May 13, 2022

Abstract or project description

Rohan is interested in ways to sequester and utilize CO2 in order to mitigate climate change. He is also interested in biology and the value that plants can provide to air quality, so we combined these interests to create his topic. He will create small, airtight greenhouses to investigate how the CO2 concentration in the air affects plant growth. The goal is to see that higher levels of CO2 allow crops to grow quicker and larger, and results in higher-quality produce. This could create more demand for CO2 that is captured from burning fossil fuels, hastening the overall transition to a zero-carbon economy. Previous work has shown some impact of increasing CO2 concentration on crop size, so Rohan plans to expand the literature on this topic by also considering subjective factors like taste and texture.